App localization

The world is going mobile – in fact, it already has. Still, the app economy is expected to double in size to $189 billion by 2020, according to market research site Statista.

With rapid smartphone penetration comes increasing mobile app usage worldwide. What’s the best way to capitalize on this growth? Leverage this opportunity with app localization.

An easy way to maximize global visibility and multiply downloads is to simply translate your mobile app, localizing it to different countries and languages. Mobile app localization can boost your App Store rankings, increase downloads and grow international revenue.

What is mobile app localization?

App localization refers to the process of adapting the interface and functionality of a mobile application to suit foreign language markets. The goal of mobile app localization is an app that:

Doesn’t change the original intent or functionality of the original application

Looks and functions like it was originally created for the target language

Essentially, your app is opened to millions of potential new users. This is the power of app localization.

Why localize your app?

Ninety percent of the apps on the App Store leaderboards are localized. It’s no surprise that users prefer to download and use apps in their own native language. The Apple App Store is currently available in over 150 countries and supports more than 40 languages, from German to Japanese. If you want to maximize your app’s revenue, you’re going to have to think bigger than just the English-speaking market.

Improve international user experience

Ninety percent of activity on mobile devices occurs in apps these days as opposed to browsers. However, the majority of apps are downloaded and deleted within minutes. Proper localization of your app, therefore, has never been more important. A properly translated has the power to improve brand value and create meaningful interactions in your target customers’ native language.

Boost app store searchability

Both the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store provide options for localizing your app listing to make discoverability and readability easier for international consumers. As a result, more people will be able to find your app using keywords in their language and will be more likely to download if they see a welcome message in their own native tongue. Together, these two effects can add up to as much as a 767 percent increase in downloads.

Multiply app downloads overseas

One of the most powerful ways to increase the number of downloads of your app is to localize it. In fact, localizing iPhone application texts can multiply downloads by 128 percent and increase revenue by 26 percent per country, according to a recent study by Distomo.

Take advantage of the global app boom

The global app economy is extremely healthy – and that’s putting it mildly. From 2015 to 2017, there was a 60 percent rise in the number of apps downloaded globally, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down. Research shows that the average smartphone user has 80 apps on their phone at any one time, and the vast majority of these are in their native language. Localizing your app allows you to tap into this booming market.

Which languages should I localize into?

It pays to be aware of the general trends in the world of mobile apps when deciding what language to localize into.

According to statistics, by far the biggest market for apps right now is China, a country that downloads more than twice the amount of apps than anywhere else on the planet. If you want maximum exposure, localizing your mobile app into Mandarin Chinese is a safe bet.

Other prominent target languages for apps include Portuguese (specifically Brazilian Portuguese), Indonesian, Korean and Japanese. Be warned, however, app users in these countries are also some of the most likely to download and quickly delete, making the need for high-quality, accurate localization key.

iOS or Android?

With Gengo’s translation services and flexible pricing structure, it is both possible and surprisingly affordable to implement any iOS app localization or Android app localization, as well as any web app localization you may need. The Apple App Store and the Google Play Store offer a multitude of language options for users to choose from, meaning whatever region you choose to target, you’re likely to be covered.

Gengo’s app localization services

Professional human translation

With 21,000+ translators in almost every country on earth working on our sophisticated crowd platform, you’ll get high-quality human translation at just a fraction of the price of a traditional language service provider. We’ll take care of the whole translation project for your mobile application, as well as work with your team to ensure it reads exactly as required for your target market.

Translation management system (TMS)

Mobile customers are constantly searching for apps that consistently improve, with regular updates based on user feedback. Frequent maintenance of multilingual content may sound like a tedious chore, but this is where a translation management system (TMS) can make ongoing translation easy. With a TMS, you’ll be able to selectively push and pull content for translation with just a few clicks, or order translations automatically when new updates are added from the development side.

To make the app localization process as easy as possible, we work and integrate with a number of partners that provide solutions to easily translate your application using Gengo’s human translation. Partners include: PhraseApp, 3PlayMedia, Translation Exchange and many more.

Localization project management

At Gengo, our team of project managers work behind the scenes to guarantee every aspect of your app localization project is completed efficiently and with high accuracy. You’ll have a dedicated team to manage the project from start to finish, creating custom timelines, translator teams and localization tools to meet your exact needs.

Translation API

Already have a translation management system and need a platform to plug into it? With over 21,000+ translators across all major languages, integrating with Gengo’s human translation API puts professional human translation directly at your fingertips, allowing you to push content directly through to translation without using the order form. Within seconds, jobs can be sent to Gengo’s translator team and completed within hours.

Price perfect

Choose between two different levels of quality and pricing to match your app localization needs. All our translators have been pre-tested for each level to ensure high quality translations.

STANDARDFrom
$0.06/word

Accurate translation of your text by a native speaker. Price perfect to expand your business to new markets.

BUSINESSFrom
$0.12/word

Professional translation for formal business use. Detailed attention to tone, subject, and meaning.

Trusted by global companies

I’ve been impressed with the quality and speed of the translations that Gengo delivers.
Jeff Chin, Product Manager at Google